THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



89 



gathering the nuts from beneath the tree. To minimize the 

 danger the native wears a wooden helmet, something like 

 that of a fireman, and takes care to walk upright as much as 

 possible, for, if one of the falling pericarps should strike his 



MM '"f** 



spine, there would be a crippled Indian for the rest of his life — 

 if not a dead one. These nuts are used on a considerable 

 scale as an article of food by the Indians. They are also 

 exported to nearly all civilized countries. They yield a large 

 quantity of oil which is good for burning. 



